Pennsylvania and Georgia Officials Draft Data Center Zoning Rules

Local governments in Pennsylvania and Georgia are grappling with the infrastructure and environmental demands of potential data center developments. In Pennsylvania, Scott Dunn, a Fayette County Commissioner, announced plans for zoning protections at a town hall meeting attended by 250 people. Dunn stated that because the current electrical grid lacks the capacity for such facilities, any data center locating in Fayette County must provide its own on-site power generation. The county also intends to require closed-loop water systems to mitigate resource impact.

While no hyperscale centers are finalized in Fayette County, the company Nadara is exploring an 830-acre site near Gans. Regional activity extends to Washington County, where JLL is marketing a 1,400-acre tract, and Greene County, where International Electric Power plans a 910-megawatt plant by 2029 to attract data center operators.

Similarly, officials in Early County, Georgia, held a workshop to discuss a draft ordinance for regulating data center development. City Commissioner Jeffery Haynes warned that rejecting the two proposals currently under consideration—one in the city and one in the county—could jeopardize the city's ability to fund essential services. Local residents in Georgia mirrored the concerns raised in Pennsylvania, debating the economic windfalls against potential declines in quality of life.